Epidemic
by StarTrekFanWriter
Summary: The dark side is not all that is evil.  Luke discovers something else Obi-Wan did not tell him. Luke Skywalker, Han/Leia, Chewie, Lando and storm troopers galore.  3 years after the Battle of Endor.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.**

I was born in 1973. By highschool I knew all the lines from Episodes IV, V and VI by heart. So much of my childhood - jokes, games, family outings, revolved around Star Wars. But then Episode I, II and III came out, and the books...and I felt betrayed. I just didn't like the stories that were brewed around the original movies. Perhaps I would like the Clone Wars better, someday I'll have to watch them. This is my little AU. A little darker, but hopefully more "real", and in a way more liberating.

I've given the former storm troopers letter/number designations instead of names. It seems like something the Empire would do.

**Epidemic: Chapter 1**

The shuttle rocked in Ulneo's atmosphere. Metal screamed and laser fire blasted in Luke's ears. This wasn't supposed to have been a dangerous mission - well ostensibly not. Luke knew otherwise; they'd been set up of course. He and his companions were unwanted in the new galaxy, he was a jedi, too dangerous, and the former stormtroopers fighting alongside him too reviled. Grasping an overhead railing in the shuttle's main cargo bay he closed his eyes and concentrated. The shields held, a victory to the Force and the power of the shuttle's main generators.

"We've lost the hyperdrive," screamed A95, the former trooper at the controls at the front of the craft.

"Head to the interior!" Luke shouted.

"Aye, sir!" said A95 without argument. Luke could see A95's co-pilot, another former trooper, head down on the controls. He didn't need to check a pulse point to know the trooper was dead. He could feel the ghost awkwardly clinging to the shuttle - afraid to leave his former team mates behind.

Luke's hand went to the upper breast pocket in his standard issue fatigues. The data chip was still there. If they could only survive to put it in the proper hands...

Clinching his teeth Luke blinked in the shuttle's low light. It wasn't a fancy craft, just a cockpit and the long rectangular hold he was in. In the center were ladders going above and below to the gun turrets. The sides were lined with seventeen troopers, quiet and ready. There eyes watching the quaking metal of the box holding them aloft in oncoming fire. He caught the eye of A84 and the other man nodded at him and spit. A med bot, wheels attached to a track in the floor made it's way up and down the center aisle.

Closing his eyes Luke reached out - saw the mountains coming up below them, the three ships following them, and the laser fire headed in their direction that if not confronted would do them in. Concentrating he did his best to direct the Force to deflect the lasers - and was only partially successful. The shuttle held but...

"Fuck, we've lost our guns!" said A97 from the superior gun turret. "Same here!" screamed B36 from below.

"Drop to ground, A95!" Luke shouted. Turning to A84 he said, "Open the side doors! Everyone who's able grab an anti-aircraft gun."

x x x x

The engines were silent. But the anti-aircraft guns screamed in the shuttle, now wedged on it's side in a gully.

The med bot still coursed down the aisle. A84 lay motionless near Luke's feet. "Status?" Luke asked.

"He has lost too much blood," said the bot. "And we are out of synth-plasma."

Luke stared at the unconscious storm trooper. A84 now wore the green and gray camouflage armor of the New Republic, his helmet had fallen to the side. He looked like all the rest of them. But he wasn't like all the rest, Luke had discovered there wasn't an "all the rest", not really. A84 was "too smart" to be a storm trooper. Of course that was by design. A little tweaking here and there when he was cloned had given him a mind for numbers and machines. The Empire needed storm troopers who could problem solve and fix hyperdrives in a pinch too. Of course in A84 the tweaking might have gotten out of hand. Luke had discovered A84 had a mind as fine as any physics student at the Republic Academy, and he loved talking with Luke about politics, philosophy, and literature.

The shuttle shook as bombs hit the earth around them. Guns sounded in Luke's ears as his guys fought off another round of attacks from above. Looking up Luke's eyes fell on B36, in command as usual. B36 was stouter, older and wiser. He was too old to be doing this really; but he was still in the field fighting alongside the other troopers, the only family he had ever known.

Since the Battle of Endor three years ago, some storm troopers had tried to integrate into civilian life. They faced widespread prejudice, some of it earned. They'd been programmed for combat in their genes and training. Without the discipline of service many found it hard to hold steady jobs, many became addicts of various substances and fell into crime. Other troopers enlisted in the New Republic forces. They fared slightly better, but they were still the victims of prejudice. They had recently been integrated with other forces, but they were rarely promoted. Discrimination against them was fiercest among officers - Luke believed that no one who served beside former storm troopers could remain hostile to them for long. They were the most loyal, disciplined fighters Luke had ever known. They didn't hold grudges, he didn't think they were wired to do so. Luke had killed so many of their kind before, all of the Death Star...and so many others. If he let himself dwell on the guilt he might go mad. So he didn't let himself. Not usually. But one time he'd slipped and confessed to A84 his remorse - if that was the word for it, soul aching sorrow might have been closer. The trooper had just shrugged. "It was war. We were on opposite sides. Now we aren't."

A84 groaned beside Luke. Closing his eyes Luke let his mind fly to the skies and tumble over the infinite possibilities that could befall his crew in the next few hours. Although the future was always in motion, at a certain point, like a snowball gathering momentum as it rolled down a hill, the path of events became immovable. Sighing in relief he let his eyes open. His boys would win this round without him.

By coincidence or by design Luke had the same blood type as all the former troopers. Rolling up his sleeve he said to the bot, "Use mine."

X X X X

It was a few months later that Luke became aware he was dealing with a contagion.

They'd taken refuge in a village in Ulneo's interior. But they were found out. Luke was alone in a skiff, running some diagnostics, the ship was hit from above by a fighter from Ulneo's Central Forces. The whole transport flipped over, and Luke was pinned under tons of metal, miraculously sheltered from the full impact by railings that crumpled but still held the craft a foot above the ground.

Too disoriented to use the force to lift it off him, through eyes clouded by blood Luke saw the fighter that hit him turn to finish him off. He saw his troopers frantically firing at it with phaser rifles, their anti-aircraft ammunition depleted long ago. A84 came running towards him. "Save yourself," Luke tried to say, but couldn't find the words. Even in his daze Luke could feel the other's man desperation, panic and fear; a part of Luke couldn't believe he deserved it.

And then in an act of what had to be sheer lunacy A84 began heaving at the steel around Luke, impossibly trying to lift it with his bare hands. It was madness, and in his dazed state Luke might have almost laughed. But then the tons of steel lifted from Luke's body and A84 shrugged it to the side as easily as if all those meters of steel had been made of paper.

**A/N:**  
Well, acceptable AU or fury inducing heresy - please let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.**

Special thanks to Notes from the Classroom. Her comments made this chapter much better. Check out her latest "People Will Say" in my faves for Spock and Uhura goodness.

**Epidemic: Chapter 2**

There was a Jedi saying, "When you cannot win, stop fighting."

With the help of Ulneo's rebel forces, Luke and his team found a suitable location for their "last stand," an old wooden building at the edge of a telnarite mining town in the mountains. Luke's team settled in and only made cursory efforts to hide their whereabouts.

Predictably, the Central Authority found them. When the gunships attacked, Luke's team exploded the bulk of their remaining weaponry - as though it had taken a direct hit. The building went up in flames and Luke and his team went down into the mines. Luke and A84 moved boulders to hide their exit.

Tense hours later, Luke pulled his consciousness from the surface back to his body, opened his eyes to blackness and smiled. "It worked. They have their suspicions, but the general consensus is we're dead."

There were murmurs in the dark around him. A flare lit, and B36 said, "You heard him, boys. Let's move out."

x x x x

Swirling his drink in his glass, Han silently cursed Chewie. The furry bastard had gotten out of coming to this reception at Interior Secretary Dinel's estate on the pretense of "seasonal shedding." If only Han could be so lucky as to have that as an excuse. Too bad Luke was off on Ulneo; Luke hated these things, too. Han wanted company for his misery.

Feeling the heat of someone's gaze on him he glanced up. Across the press of human and alien bodies decked out in at least four dozen types of finery, Leia - Minister of Restoration Projects- Organa, was staring at him. For the past few months she'd looked tired, as though she was carrying a great weight. Han asked her about it and she said it was just too much work. Despite her fatigue she looked lovely, hair upswept high, a deep wine red dress on that plunged just _so_ in the front. Han was sure the old white haired bureaucrat guys looming around were drooling. Leia smiled at him and gave him a wink.

He did his best not to roll his eyes. As though flirting with him made it all better. Actually, it almost did, but he would never admit it. His eyes went to Lando - Senator Calrissian, in thrall of another set of bureaucrats, and then a motion at the door caught his eye. A man in New Republic Force gear strode purposely into the room and made his way to the Interior Secretary, crowd parting and murmurs arising as he did.

Interior Secretary Dinel was a lean man in his 50's with a hawkish nose. As the trooper approached, Han swore he saw Dinel smile and bare fangs. He blinked. Dinel was human and didn't sport fangs. Han's vision cleared. Dinel was not smiling; his face was pinched and hard. The trooper was whispering something in his ear and Dinel was putting his glass down on a tray. The murmurs in the crowd grew louder.

Stepping forward, Dinel put his hands together and the crowd hushed. His form seemed to shimmer oddly. Han stared down at his drink; he'd barely touched it. He'd been getting light headed like this a lot recently. Rubbing his face, he looked up and Dinel was solid again. But no. Something was wrong, off, backwards, inside out and Han just couldn't tell what it was.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," said Dinel, "I regret to inform you, the terrorists on Ulneo have attacked..." Closing his eyes and bowing his head, he said, "Luke Skywalker is dead."

And then Han knew what was wrong. The words were at his mouth before he could stop them. "You fucking liar! You know that's not true!"

x x x x

Somehow Han had let Lando push him from the reception into the foyer.

Lando's hands were on Han's shoulders. "It's okay, buddy. It's okay."

Pushing Lando's hands away, Han said, "It's not okay! Luke is alive!"

A blur in wine red entered the foyer. Eyes meeting Leia's, Han said, "He isn't dead, he isn't...you know that."

Frowning, Leia said softly, "No, Han, I don't know that."

Han's eyes went wide. "You're lying to me, too, now," he said. He knew it, somehow, like he knew that gravity would hold his feet down while he was planet side.

Swallowing, Leia came closer to him. "Han, we have to...accept that what Dinel says is true."

Han's stomach dropped, his hands felt like ice. How could _she_?

Murmurs were coming from the reception hall, people were listening in.

...She didn't want anyone else to know. Something was going on, and he'd bet it had to do with whatever had been on her mind these past few months. He was furious. At her for not trusting him. At Dinel for wanting Luke dead. At stilted receptions where you couldn't speak your mind and had to watch your mouth.

Spinning and heading for the door, he said, "Yeah, right."

x x x x

Leia tracked him down, of course. Not right away. She gave him an hour or so to cool down - or so he supposed. But damn it, there was no way he was going to be cool about this.

When he was elbow deep in the Falcon's innards and he heard the main hatch creaking open, he knew who it was.

Pulling himself half out of the engine, he saw her at the bottom of the ramp, still in her reception gown, a halo of light around her.

"What the Hell is going on? Dinel lied, you lied...and you know Luke is alive," Han said, pointing a hydrospanner at her. Which didn't explain how he _knew, _even before her subtle hint in the foyer_. _He'd spent the last hour rationalizing it. Maybe it was just because Luke Skywalker wouldn't die, not on a routine inspection assignment to Ulneo. But that wasn't it: he just knew...like he knew Dinel lied, Leia lied, and how to breathe.

She walked up the ramp and over to the hatch controls. Pressing a button she waited until the hatch closed before she said, "Dinel did not lie...well, yes he did. He pretended to be saddened; that was a lie. He genuinely thinks Luke is dead, though - and is happy about it."

"And we aren't arguing with him because..." Han said.

Turning back to him she said, "Because they've been trying to kill him and it's better if they think he is dead -"

"They? Who? Trying to kill him? For how long, Leia? How long has this been going on?"

Swallowing, she said, "I don't know exactly who...It's been a month or so, I -"

"And when exactly were you going to tell me?"

"I couldn't risk you going off after him," Leia said, not meeting his eyes.

"Couldn't risk...Well, you are right about that, I am going after him," said Han pulling himself out of the compartment and shouting towards the cockpit. "Chewie, rev her up!"

The Falcon's engine's hummed to life.

"Han," said Leia, "you _can't_ go, please."

Something cold stirred in the pit of Han's stomach. An icy chill that reached its tendrils up towards his throat. He was afraid; no, terrified. He had that inside out and backwards feeling again, and that was unacceptable, irrational. Which maybe is why his next words were completely unforgivable. "What's wrong with you, Leia? You so happy with your newfound respectability and authority, _Your Ministership_, that you can't do what's right, and don't care about the what really matters anymore? You don't care about Luke?"

As soon as he said it he regretted it. He waited for the stinging retort to come. Instead, she crumpled. "Don't care! He's my brother! He and you and Chewie are the only family I have left in this galaxy! I can't lose you, and I know, I know, I know if you go you all will die." Wiping tears away from her cheeks, she looked down, her whole body shaking. "And I don't know how I know, I just do...Luke knows it, too...but it's not logical, and that's why I couldn't tell you."

Her body shook again with silent sobs, and Han silently cursed her. If this was an act she was good at it; he couldn't stay mad at her. Moving forward he put his arms around her. "It's alright, it's alright, we'll be okay, we've gotten out of scrapes worse than this." But as he said it, he knew it was a lie. That cold was in him again, spreading to his arms now, making them feel like lead.

Pulling away, face streaked with tears, Leia said, "No! No it will not be okay! You have to stay here..."

"And do nothing!" said Han, his friendship with Luke overriding the terror.

"We have to wait," Leia said, looking at the ground, "There is another thing...something we're overlooking, but if we go we won't find it...I don't know what it is...but we have to wait..."

Han tilted his head. When she said "something we're overlooking," something clicked inside him, like a puzzle piece falling into place. He took a finger to her face and wiped away a tear. "Okay..." He took a breath; he couldn't believe he was saying this. "We'll wait - a little longer."

Leia looked up at him through wet eyes. He saw relief, disbelief, and joy. "Thank you, thank you," she said. "I know it's crazy, but I can't explain it..."

He kissed her then, and she responded. And suddenly he was thinking of other things. She _had _been busy of late; they both had, and it had been so long - and now, he felt, he felt...

Pulling her towards his quarters on the Falcon, they fumbled at each other's clothes, their lips coming together again and again. As soon as the door was shut behind them they were stripping, and then he was pulling her on top of him, and they were one. It felt better than it had in...in forever...he felt complete.

And then they were floating. Leia gasped. In the back of his mind Han noted Chewie must have been testing the grav controls. But he wasn't going to stop, not in the middle of _this_. He grabbed hold of the emergency hand grips and braced himself against the ceiling.

When they were done they fell suddenly and inelegantly onto the bed. Han laughed and Leia looked at him with wide eyes. Han hit the communicator, "Hell of a time to test the gravity, Chewie."

Han blinked as Chewie growled and barked that he had not, in fact, been testing the gravity. Looking into Leia's wide eyes, Han suddenly made the connection.

Ah, the unexpected happy surprises of having a wife who was strong with the force. Pulling his thumb off the communicator, he said to Leia with a proud smirk, "Well, hey, I must still have it if you get _that _excited."

Leia shook her head. Her lip trembled. "Han, that wasn't me...that was you."

**A/N:**

...and the contagion is...Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed please leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own. I don't profit.

Special thanks to beta Notes from the Classroom. For Spock Uhura goodness check out her "People Will Say" in my faves.

**Chapter 3**

The exit of the telnarite mine was so narrow they would have to take their packs off and slip through single file. It was night in the cold open air beyond, and Luke could hear the light patter of a frigid drizzle. It was four hours since the attack on their hideout in the mining town, 18 hours since they'd slept. Luke could go on; but he knew his men needed a break - and the mine was the safest, driest place they'd have for a while.

Luke took first watch while the others slept. Standing at the opening, he could see tiny flecks of the telnarite, so vital to hyperdrives, glittering in the rock. That glitter was to blame for his current woes.

Mine droids were struck down by the solar storms that caused geomagnetically induced currents to rip through Ulneo on an all too regular basis. The mining had to be done by hand. As far as most of the galaxy knew, they were willing hands. Luke and his troopers discovered otherwise. During the rebellion the Empire had secretly shipped dissidents here to be slave laborers. Now certain members of the New Republic were doing the same with inconvenient beings - augmenting Ulneo's Central Authority's own supply of slaves. The data disk Luke carried had the names of the guilty, and proof for a galaxy that would be resistant to conflict after so many years of war.

He sighed. He hadn't even seen the names himself; they'd have to be decoded. He wished he could inform Leia of exactly who their enemies were.

The sound of footsteps on loose rocks made him turn. Smiling, Luke said, "Don't need to sleep, do you?"

Walking forward, A86 shook his head. "No, I feel like I could stay awake for another 36 hours without stopping."

Luke nodded. "But we do need to sleep." Raising an eyebrow, he turned the word 'we' over in his mind. He and Leia weren't the only ones of their kind anymore.

Saying nothing, A86 looked out the opening, then leaned against one faintly glittering wall. "It's still in me," he said at last.

"Yes," Luke said. He wasn't sure why or how. The force came from the power of midichlorians; they insinuated themselves in DNA. Everyone had them, but those strong with the force had more. Now A86 buzzed with them - he'd thought it was merely an effect of the blood transfer that would dissipate with time, but it hadn't.

"I like it," said A86. Outside there was a strange cry. A86 smiled. "I like knowing that sound was only an animal looking for its mate, not looking for its dinner. I like feeling not alone...I like the peace it brings me knowing this body I'm walking in...it's just a suit of armor I have on for now. When I die, I'll discard it - but I'll still be me."

Luke nodded. He was glad that A86 had the force. He liked the stoic trooper with the mind of scientist and heart of a philosopher. Someday, if they managed to get out of this mess - still a big if, Luke knew they would be true friends. He knew this like he knew the sky was above his head.

A86 looked down. "You kept it from us...this secret."

"What are you talking about?" said Luke.

A86 looked up quickly. "And I know, right now, you're almost...but not quite, lying."

Luke tilted his head. He knew what A86 meant. Something he didn't want to think about. As far as Luke knew, midichlorians were inheritable, not transferable.

"You don't even know." A86 narrowed his eyes. "Or don't want to know."

"Stop talking in riddles," said Luke, trying to speak lightly. "I'm the Jedi; that's my job."

A86 didn't smile. "The force is a disease, it's contagious...and the Jedi and the Sith have been keeping it a secret."

Luke opened his mouth, to contradict him but couldn't. It had been on his mind...but it was just a fluke...this transfer...wasn't it?

A86 spoke softly. "In the days of the Jedi Council - that _esteemed_ body of unelected officials, so different from the Empire, separated all the children strong in the force from their families."

Scowling, Luke said, "Don't speak of the Council like that."

A86 narrowed his eyes. "Jedis were forbidden to marry. I wonder, is it transferable through other bodily fluids, too?"

"That's not how it works," Luke said, straightening himself despite a feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him feel very heavy indeed.

A86 smiled bitterly. "It all makes sense really. They were protecting the most powerful weapon in the galaxy. It would be terrible if it fell into the hands of someone_ undesirable_."

Luke's jaw tightened. "That's all speculation. And I don't think you're undesirable, so cut the self pity."

A86 smiled softly; a real smile this time. "No you don't. But most people do." Shrugging he said, "We're whoring, drinking, rude, single-minded killing machines."

"You're not that," said Luke.

A86 shook his head. "Not anymore. I feel connected. I can see...other ways; I could see them before but now they're clearer. But more importantly, I feel like I have the strength to go those ways."

"Of course," said Luke, "If you remain strong with the force, you can become a Jedi."

A86 looked thoughtful for a moment; and then he grinned. "But I like the whoring!"

Rolling his eyes, Luke jerked his head towards the slumbering forms of the other men. "Get some sleep, Stormer," he said.

Nodding, A86 ambled off into the shadows of the mine.

Luke watched him go, jaw still tight, a prickle of worry in his neck. If and when they got out of this mess he'd think more about A86's words. Right now he needed to focus on keeping them alive. Banishing the thoughts, he let his mind drift to the force, carefully skirting the telnarite mines…the agony of the beings there would distract him. To save them, to save himself and his tropps he needed to sense the approach of any being, sentient or otherwise, that might be a threat.

Leia often contacted him during these times when his mind flowed more freely; but now she was sleeping. Luke sensed A86 still wakeful, at the edges of his consciousness, and then he felt another presence, one he never expected to feel aware in this state.

_Luke? Hey can you hear me...how does this telepathy thing work?_

Luke blinked. _Han?_

_Yeah, it's me...Han. I want to come get you, but Leia says we have to wait, says it's important. I hope you forgive me, buddy, if I'm...she's...we're...wrong...it just..._

_I forgive you,_ Luke thought.

_Oh...is that really you? This can't possibly be working...Hell, what am I doing talking to myself..._

Han's consciousness drifted away, but the implications of what had just transpired sent a shock wave of cold confirmation through Luke. Just beyond the mine he saw a familiar shimmer of ghostly presences in the night. With a deep breath he stepped through the opening.

The rain had stopped, but the air was still thick with humidity and it made the night even more chill. Outside the mine many forms shimmered into view, as dense as Luke's heavy misty breaths. Luke saw Yoda, Obi-wan, and his father alongside a dozen or so apparitions he did not recognize. Biting the side of his mouth to contain his frustration, Luke clenched his fists. He'd been a pawn of theirs. Again. "When exactly were you going to tell me?"

"When it was necessary, tell you we would" the ghost of Yoda said. "When you, Chosen One, balanced the force, we would."

Luke rubbed his tightening jaw. "It's not just blood, is it?"

"No," said Yoda.

"Why did it take Han so long to become infected?" Luke asked.

"Midichlorians are present in all bodily fluids, even sweat," said Obi-Wan. "But to a lesser degree than in the blood. Manifestation of the force after exposure to other fluids requires prolonged contact. Eventually the midichlorian load becomes enough for them to take up residence in the host's DNA, and then it becomes inheritable, too."

Luke tapped a finger agitatedly against his thigh. A86 was very perceptive.

"But this is not of immediate importance. You must convince A86 to become a Jedi," said Obi-Wan.

"Why?" said Luke.

"Without proper training he could become a deadly foe. If you cannot encourage him to become a Jedi..." Obi-Wan's voice drifted off.

The implications of the statement made Luke go hot, as did the evasion. "You know that isn't what I was asking," said Luke. "Why hide it?"

Eyes widening, Yoda said, "Because the force is too dangerous...too dangerous to be controlled by just anyone. Remain with those who are dedicated it must. Wise ones. Serious ones. Contain it we did, to protect the galaxy."

Luke raised an eyebrow. A86 was very perceptive indeed.

The image of empty space that was all that was left of Alderan spun before Luke's eyes. The Battle of the First Death Star. The icy battle on Hoth. The smell of burning trees on Endor. He let out a low, mirthless laugh. "Well, that worked well," he said.

**A/N:**

I found the unelected Jedi Council just _creepy._ And the whole no marriage thing, and taking the kids from their families when they were so young- all suspicious and very strange (taking kids from their parents in particular - I know, I know there is the whole boarding school model, but I wouldn't do that to _my_ kids). This story is how I reconcile it. I'm not sure George Lucas would be pleased.

Love it? Hate? Leave a review and let me know! Anonymous reviews are accepted...but I can't respond unless you leave an email address.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.**

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I'm new to this fandom and it perhaps shows.

Special thanks to Beta Notes from the Classroom. Check out her latest "People Will Say" in my faves for Spock Uhura goodness.

**Chapter 4**

The next morning Luke and A86 were standing at the opening of the mine as the other men slipped through single file into the chill morning air. Unable to meet the other man's eyes, Luke said, "You were right. You were right about everything."

A86 said, "How?"

Cocking the phaser in his hand, Luke said, "Don't ask me how."

He couldn't talk about it. For the second time in his life he felt his universe was collapsing in on itself, leaving his soul just as heavy and dark as a black hole.

A few hours later they spotted the smoke.

Ulneo's Central Authority allowed only one space port on the planet. It was at the capital, Ulneo Prime. To get a ship off-world, Luke and his team had to get to Prime. It was a few hundred miles away. Their plan was to leave the mountains, meet up with rebels in the smaller metropolis of Fourth, and then arrange transport to Prime itself. Fourth was just beyond the mountains, at the edge of forested foothills.

What had been forested foothills. Now there were flames. Luke hadn't thought that his heart could drop further but it did.

"What the hell?" said B36, fingers and face ruddy and red in the cold air.

To escape, they had to cross those barren hills. Someone had their suspicions that they had escaped and wasn't taking any chances. They'd burned Luke's team's cover. No doubt drones were overhead now.

A86 cocked his head. "That data disk is really important to them."

Luke swallowed. It wasn't _just_ the data disk they wanted. It would be more convenient for certain New Republic members if he were dead. Some were afraid he'd play on old loyalties to Vader and the Empire to seek power for himself. Some of them were just afraid of him, period. The whole assignment to Ulneo had been to get rid of him; he'd known that when he accepted it. They hadn't counted on him and his guys escaping and getting evidence of the slavery in the mines.

Closing his eyes, Luke looked to the paths of the future that spun from him in a web of interlocking possibilities. Before him he saw death for many. Behind them in the mountains, he saw death for all. Winter was coming fast. They might shelter in the mine but would die of starvation.

"What are your orders, Sir?" B36 said.

Luke opened his eyes. B36's face was calm, but Luke could feel the man's fear. You didn't have to have the Force to know they were in peril. He looked at A86. The other man seemed to shimmer.

Luke turned his head to B36. "Leave us."

As soon as they were alone, Luke said, "After the transfusion, how long before...before you had any idea?"

A86 blinked. "I didn't have any idea. Even when I ran to lift the skiff off of you..."

Luke tilted his head.

A86 looked at the ground, "But now that I look back...as soon as I came to in the shuttle, I, I, I knew things. I wasn't afraid. I knew - remember what I said, about this body being just a suit of armor I'd slip off someday?"

Luke nodded. "I've always known that, even before I had training. The training just confirmed things I already felt...gave me control." It was training that allowed him to foresee the future, move objects with his mind, and gave him inhuman strength. At least reliably. In moments when he could suspend his disbelief, extreme fear for instance, even without training the force manifested itself - like in the ice cave on Hoth.

...or when A86 had pulled the skiff off him.

He looked off to the storm troopers a few meters off, steam from their breath hanging in the air around them. He was here because he was too dangerous to live. They were here because they were dangerous and expendable.

If they knew it was him the Central Authority wanted, they'd never turn him in. They were loyal to a fault. They were going to face death. Again. And they were afraid. Even if they didn't show it.

He couldn't deliver them from death. But he could deliver them from fear.

The air around him began to shimmer. The apparitions from the night before materialized. A86's head jerked about. "What -"

Yoda spoke. "Choose this path, choose it alone you do."

"Luke," said Ben, "some of your power flows from us, the ones who have been before. What you are thinking of we cannot allow it. It is too dangerous. He who holds the Force has power over those who do not and -"

"So give it to everyone," said A86 spitting on the ground.

"Exactly," said Luke. He shivered.

From around them rose ghostly shouts and screams that Luke knew only he and A86 heard.

_Come on,_ he thought.

A86 met his eyes and nodded.

They drew knives from their utility belts as they walked towards the other troopers. Over the clamor of the dead Luke said, "We can't give you superhuman strength, the power to move objects, or to see into the future. Not right away. We can give you freedom from fear. This...the Force...It's yours if you want it."

"How?" said B36.

Luke split the length of his hand sideways. "We become blood brothers."

The apparitions of Jedis past vanished. All but one. His father. Across the troopers' heads, he nodded at Luke.

B36 spit to the side, then took out his own knife and cut his hand as Luke had done. "I'm in."

**A/N:**

Has Luke opened Pandora's box? Please let me know what you think dear readers – reviews help keep me going!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.**

Thanks to everyone who reviews! I love hearing from you.

Special thanks to beta Notes from the Classroom. Check out her excellent "People Will Say" in my faves for Spock/Uhura goodness.

**Chapter 5**

Han hovered above the planet below. That in itself wasn't so odd. The fact that he wasn't in a ship or didn't have jet packs on his back…that was odd. Okay, so it was a dream.

As soon that thought registered, he was sucked towards the orb below him. Thankfully, this was not the dream he where his eyeballs were sucked out of their sockets by the vacuum, or the one where he erupted into flames upon entrance to the atmosphere.

He was pulled down, down, down, through icy clouds and past mountain peaks until he came to a stop a few meters below the ground.

Below him stood Luke and a storm trooper holding up bloody hands. Around him there was a roiling, rolling storm of souls screaming epithets at them. Paying no mind, Luke and the storm trooper clasped their bloody hands to the hands of the other troopers.

Then the scene shifted and it was night. Luke and his men, in a long disjointed line, were running across a burning plain as drones shot laser beams at them from the sky.

Han watched helplessly as lasers coursed through him and troopers fell left and right. And then he watched in amazement as their ghosts pulled themselves out of useless bodies and raced to urge their comrades on. Han could see beyond the plain; a skiff was coming. He knew somehow that skiff was salvation, Ulneo's own rebels. Luke and his team just had to survive long enough to be picked up.

Telling his troopers to run on, Luke pulled his lightsaber and began ducking and running away from the others. He was drawing the drones' fire. It was just the idealistic, noble, stupid sort of stunt Luke _would_ do. Han wanted to shake him for it; or to be there in it, to take the fire with him.

Two more drones came into focus above Luke. Luke wasn't drawing fire anymore so much as fighting for his life, lightsaber frantically repelling laser fire. Hopelessly Han watched from above as Luke was hit in the arm. It was a non-lethal blow, but Han could feel Luke losing control over his saber. There was a boulder nearby with an outcropping. Luke could take shelter beneath it - Han could see the boulder from his vantage point in the sky...Could Luke? No.

The ground was still smoldering, and the boulder was hidden behind a veil of smoke.

This was a dream...a very bad dream, Han told himself. He should wake up, but... that would mean leaving Luke, even if he was only dream Luke. Concentrating, Han willed himself over to the boulder and began to scream, "Luke! Over here! Over here!" Another voice joined his in chorus. Dimly Han knew it was Leia.

Because it was a dream, Luke actually _heard _their voices over the laser fire and drone engines. Racing in their direction, he took another hit that just missed his core, and then fell at their feet, under the shelter of the outcropping, burned and broken, but still alive.

"Stay here," Leia said to Han. "I'm going to try and attract the drones."

She vanished, but Han _felt_ her reappear on the burned landscape, a bright white light in his mind, and saw red lasers flash harmlessly around her.

And Han _felt_ the rebel skiff approaching, firing back at the drones now, picking up the troopers...the troopers...who were worried about Luke and couldn't see him.

Through dream magic Han was leaping meters into the air to the boulder top and screaming once again, "Over here! Over here!"...and again Han was heard, not by the rebels, by a storm trooper. Han's vision was divided into a split screen. On one side was Luke, dying on the ground; in the other there was the inside of the rebel skiff, a storm trooper, pointing a phaser at the driver's head saying, "I know where he is, you will go back for him!"

And then the divided scene became one as the skiff approached and two troopers jumped out and ran through the smoke as if on a string right to where Luke was. Hoisting Luke between them, they pulled him into the shelter of the skiff. Engines revved and the rebel skiff vanished into the smoke...to safety. Han _felt _it.

He released a breath he hadn't known he was holding and bolted upright. Suddenly solid, awake, drenched with sweat and far from Ulneo. He looked at the empty spot beside him and lunged out of bed.

He found Leia in the kitchen, sitting at the table trying to pour hot water into a tea cup. But she was shaking too much to do it.

Swallowing, Han said, "That was...just a dream, right."

"No," said Leia.

Suddenly Han needed to sit down.

"The storm troopers..."

Not waiting for him to finish, without looking at him, Leia said, "Luke infected them with the force. It's transmissible by blood...and other fluids. The powers that be, or the powers that were..."

Han remembered the wailing ghosts. "...are pissed."

Leia nodded.

"I can't wait around doing nothing anymore," Han said.

Meeting his eyes suddenly, Leia said, "Don't you understand...you...we just did do something."

x x x x

It was all very well and good to have Leia tell him the dream was real and that he'd helped Luke through the force...but...

Han didn't quite believe it. Especially not in the light. And not during the memorial service in Luke's honor Han and Leia attended that day. And definitely not at the luncheon after the memorial service. Luncheon. The very word was banal. A concept of polite society too refined to get their hands dirty.

Dinel was there. Leia had said it would be best if Han could apologize for his behavior at the reception. "Could" being the operative word. Han was pretty sure if he got close enough to the slimy bastard who wanted his buddy dead, he _could not_ control the fist that would surely connect with Dinel's jaw.

Picking up a ovoid zanast fruit and one of the paring knives laid out, Han did his best not to look at Dinel. Turning the other way, his eyes went to Admiral Ackbar across the room instead. The Mon Calamarian was talking to other mourners, ever the picture of dignity and poise and…

...he was glowing. No shimmering.

Han blinked. Maybe the admiral had a cold. Their entire bodies were basically mucus membranes and when they became ill they tended to ooze more. Han looked again. Actually Ackbar wasn't slimier than usual.

Meeting his eyes from across the room, Ackbar waved a webbed hand at him. Han nodded back. He respected Ackbar a lot; he was a good guy, even if a little boring and a bit of a stick in the mud.

Ackbar turned away to another mourner but Han kept staring. Ackbar was definitely shimmering and Han felt inexplicably drawn to him.

Looking up, Ackbar met his eyes again. The Calamarian tilted his head looking a little confused.

Han looked away. They guy probably thought he was flirting with him. And yet...Han looked up again. Ackbar looked like...hope.

"I know," said Leia, suddenly by his side. "Every time I look at him I feel...lighter."

"Does he have, you know, _it_?" he whispered.

Closing her eyes briefly and touching her temple she said, "No. No, not in any great quantity."

Han looked down at the pairing knife in his hand, and then back up to the Mon Calamarian. Mucus membranes were very susceptible to infection; that was why women were more likely to get STDs than men.

In the Mon Calamarians' case, being giant walking mucus membranes wasn't so much an issue around humans; their physiology was just so different that not many diseases hopped the species divide. Han blinked. Had he just compared an entire race to a bit of female anatomy? That was...not elegant but...he looked up at the giant molluscoid. It was apt.

Slipping the zanast fruit into a pocket, he touched the knife point to his hand. Mercifully it was sharp.

"What are you doing?" Leia said.

Drawing the blade across his palm and watching the crimson line emerge, he said, "I'm not sure. But I hope it works."

Meeting his eyes, Leia nodded and threaded her arm in his. Holding his head high, his palm down, and her arm tight, they moved in the Admiral's direction…and promptly found themselves face to face with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Or his ghost. Han could make out the luncheon guests through his glowing form.

"Don't do this, Solo," the old man said. "The Force should only be bestowed with the greatest care and caution."

Blinking in confusion, Han looked around, but only Leia and he seemed to be aware of the glowing form.

Speaking in a low dangerous voice, Leia said, "What great care and caution the wise ones must have exercised when bestowing the gift upon Vader and the Emperor."

"Leia…" said Obi-Wan.

"I've lost my world, my mother, my father and I don't trust the wisdom of your kind," she said. "I'm not losing my brother, too." Across the room a pair of doors blew open.

Several of the guests turned and looked at Leia.

Pulling herself straighter she said, "Come on, Han," and led him directly through Obi-Wan's ghost in what Han was pretty sure had to be considered as an 'up yours.' If Han were a ghost _he_ would be insulted.

A low moan began to rise, but Han was sure only he and Leia could hear it. Gritting his teeth, he kept his head high, Leia's arm tightly in his, and his eyes on the Admiral. Each step closer to the Mon Calamarian made him feel lighter. By the time he was close enough to touch Ackbar, he felt like he might be floating.

"Admiral Ackbar. It is so good of you to come," Leia said.

In a voice deep with phlegm the Admiral replied, "It is the least I could do." He looked slowly between Leia and Han. "Words fail me. But I am sure my grief cannot be as deep as yours. I offer you my sincerest regrets."

It was just the sort of understated eloquence Han would expect from the Admiral; but more importantly, he could _feel_ that Ackbar's words were real and genuine.

Han held up his bleeding hand, making sure his wound was hidden from view. "Thank you, Admiral," he said.

Ackbar stared down at the hand. It wasn't usual for humans to shake with Mon Calamarians. Generally a hand washing was in order after touching the mucusy beings. Blinking, Ackbar took the outstretched palm. The Admiral's touch was cool and sticky. Han didn't flinch.

"You honor me, sir," the Admiral said.

"You will honor us," said Leia, her voice a low whisper.

The Admiral pulled up, and blinked, perhaps surprised by Leia's apparent grammatical mistake. He tilted his head.

Han and Leia nodded to him. In the background, Han heard Lando saying, "Admiral Ackbar, so good of you to come." The Admiral turned away from them and Han and Leia made their way across the room.

"I can't stand to be here anymore," Leia said walking through a small scowling green ghost.

"Me either," said Han.

As they exited the door Han cast one last look at Akbar. What had been a shimmering was now a halo. The Admiral was staring down at his palm and blinking slowly.

"You know," said Leia in a voice devoid of emotion, "when Mon Calamarians travel off world, they sleep in communal water tanks."

**A/N:**

I think if Leia was not such a lady should would have said something like, "I'm so tired of all this sh!t." Almost had her say it. Hope you all enjoyed. Reviews are the only way I get paid, so if you can spare some time I'd really appreciate it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.**

Special thanks to Beta Notes from the Classroom. Check out her latest, "People Will Say" in my faves for Spock and Uhura goodness.

**Chapter 6**

Luke struggled to open his eyes; it was like pulling himself from quicksand. He took a deep breath and blinked. He was on his back in a darkened room.

Face suddenly too close above Luke's head, A86 said, "Commander, you're awake!" And then he disappeared.

In his place was the face of a woman with wide brown eyes framed by nearly imperceptible lines, hair too blonde to be real, full painted lips, and a lovely face adorned with too much makeup. Worry creased between her brows the woman said, "Would you like a drink?"

"Ugh," said Luke, slipping back into darkness. Dimly he was aware of the chatter of storm troopers, and then there was silence.

Luke was back on Tatooine, in his bed trying to sleep. His uncle was buzzing away on a table saw in the shop. It wasn't very loud, but every time Luke's eyes drifted shut, the buzzing would suddenly rev louder and he'd wake. At last he'd had enough. Sighing in exasperation, he bolted up...

And found himself far from Tatooine. He was in the same darkened room he'd been in earlier. Next to him on a chair was A86, head lolled back and snoring softly.

Luke erupted into a fit of coughing that startled A86 awake.

"Commander, I'm sorry, here...hey, easy, easy," A86 said, putting one hand on Luke's arm and gently patting his back with the other.

"You inhaled a lot of smoke," said A86. "Would you like some water?"

Luke nodded through a coughing fit. Keeping a steadying hand on Luke's arm, A86 retrieved a glass from a bedside table and held it up to Luke's lips.

Luke managed a few sips. His throat was so dry it ached going down.

When he'd had enough, A86 whisked the glass away.

Suddenly Luke felt exhausted, as though he'd run a marathon. His body wavered.

"Here, here," said A86, hand again on Luke's back. "Let me help you lie back down. You've been out for about 48 hours. Fainting and confusion are pretty normal for you now. We had you on oxygen for a while, but we ran out; the house doc says you'll make it, though."

"Wh-wh-where..." Luke said, his voice an unrecognizable rasping sound.

"Rebel safehouse in the metro area of 2nd on Ulneo," said A86, sitting back in his chair.

"How..." How had they gotten here? How had they not been discovered?"

"It's a whore house," A86 said.

Luke swallowed and winced at the pain. That should concern him for some reason...shouldn't it?

"No one even batted an eye when 12 guys dragging a 13th stumbled in here one night," said A86. "And they have a house doc, too, you know, for things. We couldn't be safer."

Sighing, the trooper said, "But you know, being around whores now that we have the Force...Most of them don't even like sex. Heck, some of them barely can stand men. We can't even make ourselves - " He shook his head.

Tension Luke didn't know he had evaporated from his shoulders. He blinked at the trooper.

Gazing sadly at the floor, A86 looked like a kid who'd just found out that there wasn't a Lord Abernackle with a magical transporter that brought presents on New Rotation Eve.

With a raspy sigh, Luke croaked, "Poor...innocent...stormtrooper."

Looking up quickly, A86 stared at Luke. He blushed and grinned. "Yeah, you would think I would have figured that out by now." Scratching a finger idly in short cropped hair he said, "There's a reason that they ask for money, right?"

Feeling too weak to speak, Luke just raised an eyebrow.

Nodding, A86 brightened a bit and said, "But it's okay. Two of the girls, Tannika and Wallamoo, they like sex plenty, and they think we're heroic for helping with their rebellion and all. They've been giving us free samples all the time, some times all of us at a time -"

Luke erupted in coughing so violent his torso lifted and his face crashed nearly into his knees.

"Sir, sir, are you alright?" said A86, slipping onto the bed next to Luke and gently rubbing his back.

Black goo spattered from Luke's mouth as his lungs continued to convulse.

"Someone get the doc!" shouted A86.

It was the last thing Luke heard before he fainted.

x x x x

When Luke awoke later, the room was darker and cooler. A86 was in the far corner, asleep on a chair, feet up on a crate, with what looked like a woman's overcoat over him.

Luke rubbed his head. What had he done? What had he unleashed?

Luke closed his eyes. The future was still too open. There were too many variables for him to see what the most likely path would be. There was the potential for great conflict and strife; but it wasn't inevitable.

Feeling the air change in the room, Luke opened his eyes. A familiar form materialized at the end of this bed. "Perhaps you've unleashed true balance?" said his father. Luke noted he didn't sound particularly certain.

Putting a hand over his eyes, Luke spoke, his throat rasping painfully. "The rest of the Jedi don't seem to think so."

"No," said another voice from the end of his bed. Luke sat up. In place of his father was a lavender skinned Twi'lek with long tentacles originating from the base of her skull.

She disappeared and a female human appeared, "I wanted a family."

A small furry chabe materialized in the human's place, "They took me..."

"...from my parents," another female Twi'lek said.

A tall green reptilian creature took her place. "We were told..."

"It was the only way," said what may have been a human, but he disappeared too fast to really see.

"That if I didn't become..." said another apparition that seemed to be many faces instead of just one. "...a Jedi..."

"..I would..." said a shade in dark purple.

"...be...a danger..." said another in pink.

"...to my people..." said what may have been a dark skinned woman.

"...but I left the order..." said another chabe.

"...I was ostracized..." said a wookie.

"...some don't believe..." said a brown skinned man with braided hair. "...there is one way..."

"...maybe the way is..." said a green blur.

"...there is no way..." said a blur of blue.

The green reptilian was back, "The old ways did not work."

"Maybe they never really did," said a green Twi'lek. "It is time to start anew."

"We are not as powerful as the Jedis of the order," said the first Twi'lek. "But we _are_..."

"We are," said Anakin flickering in the place the Twi'lek had just been. "It was against the will of the Order that I married your mother. But it was the best thing I ever did."

His father looked down. "They were wrong about that. And they were wrong about me being the Chosen One.

"The Council elected their own members. As time went on, masters in the council began to think more and more alike. Jedi who might have brought in new ideas were shunned, or ostracized. Some did leave the order -"

Luke started, "Could there be others, children perhaps, who have the Force?"

Anakin tilted his head. "When the Emperor gained access to the Jedi Council, he gained records of everyone who had received training. They would have been hunted down, as their children and spouses would have been - but that doesn't mean some did not escape...Perhaps on the outer rim."

Meeting his eyes, the flickering form said, "But Luke, you must let them come to you. If you disrupt their families, their kinship bonds, and prevent them from leading normal lives, you may simply be following in the path of the Council, dividing those who have the Force from society at large. And besides - you have ones strong in the Force here now, and you can bring the Force to even more..."

Luke's jaw tightened, "But is a whore house really the ideal place to start?"

From across the room came a low cough.

Luke turned to the corner of the room where A86 was no longer stretched out but was seated upright. He was radiating anger.

"Speak your mind, A86," said Anakin.

Nodding curtly, the storm trooper said, "The Force, on its own, without training, it maybe _can_ be dangerous, but mostly it is hope. New Republic or Empire, storm troopers and whores, we've been getting screwed under both. Why not give hope to those who need it most?"

"Why indeed?" said Anakin. A teasing smile played across his lips and then he was gone.

Luke stared at the trooper. Once he had thought that Obi-Wan had played with his mind. He wondered if A86 may have twisted his brain further.

A86 met his gaze. "Besides, whores are the perfect vector to spread the Force. Unless of course, the rules that apply to STDs apply to the Force as well."

"I don't think I want to ask," said Luke.

"It might need access to a mucus membrane to spread effectively," said A86. "In males there isn't as much -"

"I get the picture," said Luke.

"Of course there are male whores here and you know, some of us aren't particular -"

"Don't sleep with anyone just to give them the Force!"

Scowling, A86 said, "Why not?"

"There is the issue of consent!" said Luke.

Drawing up, A86 said, "None of us have raped anyone! That is strictly against orders. It is damaging to civilian morale. Only rebels do that."

"Rebels?" said Luke, feeling his temper fray.

Jaw tight, A86 said, "Yeah."

"I assure you," said Luke, "It was against official policy of the rebellion to -"

"Teluniride," said A86.

"They weren't with us! They were a local uprising," said Luke, heat rising to his face at mention of the planet still devastated by civil war.

"They didn't declare themselves local," said A86.

"Heavy-handed Imperial tactics caused them to rebel," said Luke.

"I was there! I saw what they did to the women and children who took shelter in our outpost! You may think you're the good guys, but you haven't always been." He shook his head. "Not that it matters. You're in power. You'll decide who the good and bad guys were...and are."

Luke let out an angry breath. And looked away. The ones who were in power decided who was good. The Jedi council had decided who was good - and who had power. Not all people loyal to the Empire were evil. Some had just been misled by the Emperor, who used the Force to beguile and mislead the populace; they had no protection against his power -

Luke swallowed. Someone who was strong with the Force, but untrained wouldn't be so susceptible. They'd at least be able to see through the deceit. But the Force's power was centralized in the hands of a few who were easily struck down.

Maybe whores weren't the best place to start, but where did you?

Taking a deep breath, Luke said, "I wasn't accusing you of rape. But I don't think that the Force should be passed along without the consent of those who will become infected."

"Why?" said A86. "It's a good thing -"

"Having the Force got lots of people killed in the time of the Empire. Beings with the Force now may become targets of a nervous administration," said Luke. He coughed, the strain of all the talking and arguments taking their toll on his injured lungs. "Having the Force nearly got me killed - I was sent here to die."

A86 nodded. "Yeah. I figured that out." He looked away. "You're right."

Luke started coughing. This time he couldn't stop. A86's hand was on his back a minute later. "Here, have some water," the trooper said.

Luke sipped gratefully.

Putting the glass back in A86's hand he said, "You might need to become a Jedi, just to protect yourself."

"I don't want to be a Jedi," said A86.

Luke felt a flash of worry; of what, he wasn't sure. Ben's warning rang in his mind: _A86 could become dangerous._

"Just what do you want to be?" Luke asked.

"A primary math teacher," said A86.

Luke coughed again, this time in surprise. "What?"

"I like math," said A86. "I've always wanted to study it, but you know, storm troopers don't go to the Academy. But now with the Articles of Reconciliation, combatants on both sides qualify for time at the Academy with all expenses paid as compensation for their service. I thought I'd take advantage of that..."

"A math teacher?" said Luke still dubious.

"Well, yeah. I like math - it's perfect, you know. No ambiguities. Right and wrong are easy to see. And I kind of like kids," said A86. "I liked them on Telluniride. They have weird minds. I don't think I'm really smart enough to pursue a position in arbitrage or artificial intelligence like the real math hacks..."

"Don't sell yourself short," said Luke.

A86 said nothing.

Luke began to laugh softly.

"What?" said A86 rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"It's just, the ghosts of the council...they told me you might be dangerous if you didn't become a Jedi," said Luke.

A86 blinked, and then said slowly, "Well, I might not be a very _good_ math teacher."

Luke snorted.

With a grin A86 said, "And Force help the kid who doesn't do his homework."

Suddenly speaking in a voice that was unmistakably Darth Vader, A86 said, "You have failed me for the last time, child!"

And then the stormtrooper put his hands to his neck and made exaggerated choking noises.

Luke burst out in a fit of laughter and coughing.

**A/N:**

Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing - all 7 of you (okay, it's slightly more than that, but less than for any other story I've ever written.) If you did enjoy it, or have comments (good or bad) I'd love to hear from you! It's the only way fanfiction authors get paid.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.**

Thanks for all my readers, all 7 of you! Special thanks to beta Notes from the Classroom. Check out her latest, "People Will Say", in my faves for Spock and Uhura goodness.

**Chapter 7**

Han looked up from the latest issue of "Quantum Drives" he'd downloaded onto his data pad.

C3PO's footsteps and the whirr of R2's wheels sounded behind him.

"Sir," said C3PO.

"Admiral Ackbar is calling," said Han.

Joints creaking,, 3PO said, "Why, yes, Sir, that is correct. How did you -"

"Thanks, Goldenrod," Han said, putting the data pad down and going towards the study to receive the holo.

"Well, you're welcome...sir..." Han heard 3PO say.

Leia met him in the hall.

"It's time," she said, a tight smile on her lips.

Han nodded. They entered the study together.

Decorated in crimson reds and deeply stained woods, curtains drawn, the only light in the study came from the life size holo of Admiral Akbar.

The Admiral was standing in front of a desk clear of all but a few decorative objects, a small glass sculpture, and what looked like a portable holo stand.

"Solo, Princess Organa," said Akbar with a bow.

Han could _feel _the admiral's uncertainty. And a part of him was suddenly ashamed. He couldn't say precisely why.

Straightening, Akbar stared at them for a moment, chin tentacles quivering slightly.. "This is a mistake," the Mon Calamarian said.

"No, Admiral," said Han.

"You've been having dreams," said Leia.

Blinking, Akbar said, "And my ship mates have begun to have them, too..."

Han tilted his head. It was contagious through the sleeping tanks then.

"Dreams where Ulneo's mines are filled with slaves, in which Commander Skywalker is alive," said Leia.

Akbar was visibly startled. "How do you know?"

"I've been giving them to you, through the Force," said Leia. She didn't talk in riddles like Obi-Wan had.

"That is not possible -" said Akbar.

Han felt the _air_ near him tremble as though the molecules themselves were agitated. He turned his eyes to Leia. Her jaw was tight, her brow slightly furrowed.

The sculpture on the Admiral's desk exploded in a shower of glass.

"You _know_ it is possible," said Leia. "You _feel_ it."

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she said, "Forgive me, but each moment we waste, more slaves die...and Luke...Luke cannot be safe where he is forever..."

The Admiral walked slowly behind his desk and sat down. He stared at the broken sculpture. "Yes. You're right. I do know. And I do feel it."

Looking up at Han he said, "I suppose we owe this..._gift_ to you, Solo."

A weight settled upon Han, like the air before a thunderstorm. Apprehension and sadness.

"I'm sorry, Sir," he said. "My friend, he's in danger. And you can fix it..."

The Admiral sat back in his chair. "Yes, I can. And I must." Putting his webbed fingers across his stomach he said, "I was a slave of the Grand Moff Tarkin for a while." Akbar's nostrils closed for a moment, a Mon Calamarian sigh?

"There was talk then of making Ulneo a destination for dissidents," Akbar said. "Although I never had hard confirmation of it..."

"It is still being used as a destination for people with undesirable sentiments," said Leia.

Akbar's nostrils closed again. Looking away, he said, "I should have pushed for investigation after the Fall...I don't think we wanted to know. The galaxy is sick of war."

"It won't take a war to set Ulneo straight," said Leia.

Akbar tilted his head. "It would take a declaration of war on hard evidence we don't have to allow the fleet to legally intrude on the internal operations of Ulneo."

"Luke has the evidence," said Leia.

Han trembled. This wasn't going to work. "Admiral," Han said, "send me in. I'll get Luke and the evidence out of there. Let me put together a team, I..."

Akbar blinked. "You would die. And you would fail."

Han stepped back and swallowed.

Akbar took a deep breath. "I wanted to retire soon anyway. I have grand hatchlings now on Mon Calamari...I haven't seen them yet."

Han felt awe and gratitude catch in his throat. Akbar was going to fix it. He saw it playing forward in his mind as clear as a holo. And Akbar would pay the price for it, too.

"Admiral," said Leia, "thank you."

Akbar tilted his head. "You'll forgive me if I don't thank you."

x x x x

When Luke opened his eyes, the galaxy had changed. He had felt it building for a few days, but now he was sure. The knowledge of what had happened to them had taken the potential kindling that was the Force within Akbar and those serving under him and set it ablaze. They knew their visions were real. They could see the possibilities for themselves and their kind. And under the command of Akbar, they felt collective responsibility for those on Ulneo still in the grip of the old fascism that the Empire had inflicted upon the galaxy.

Inflicted by the Empire, and perhaps by the Jedi council themselves, in ignorance, if not by design. Hadn't they been the ones who left the populace unprotected while thinking they were protecting them?

Luke climbed out of his bed, his body completely healed thanks to the kindness of storm troopers, hospitality of whores, and the power of the Force.

It was early morning; soft light infiltrated the room from cracks between the shades. Business in the house had slowed. On the night stand by his bed were clean clothes. Putting them on gratefully, Luke stood up and quietly made his way down the hall.

He found his troopers asleep in another room. B36 was the only one awake, obviously the lucky individual to get guard duty for the morning shift. He nodded at Luke as he entered the room, then turned and looked out through cracks between the shades.

The rest of the troopers sprawled out on a few small beds, and on the floor, body next to body, all of them somehow touching the form of another. Among them were Tannika and Wallamoo, the girls' limbs intertwined with the troopers.

It was too late to go back. Luke dropped his head. The Force was loose and it would not be contained. The snowball of events that made the future had gained momentum and would not be stopped.

There might be conflict. It was a possibility. But...

Luke closed his eyes. The galaxy would never be held in the sway of a dark lord ever again. A tyrant might rise, but he would not have a monopoly on the Force.

Opening his eyes, Luke motioned for B36 to follow him outside of the room. When they were in the hall he spoke quietly to the trooper. "Akbar is bringing an armada to Ulneo. They'll be looking for us. We need to prepare to leave."

**A/N:**

One more chapter to go, I think. If you're reading and have been enjoying, please let me know!


	8. The End and the Beginning

**Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.**

Special thanks to beta Notes From the Classroom. Check out her latest, "People Will Say" in my faves.

**Chapter 8: The End and the Beginning.**

The sky outside the whorehouse was ablaze with lasers. Some local defense forces of Ulneo's 2nd Metro were engaged in battle with the New Republic Armada ships that were descending on the city.

But it would not be long. The Empire had stripped every planet of meaningful defenses.

Inside the whorehouse a holo was on, although it was only playing audio. Officials in Ulneo Prime were declaring the invasion a breach of intergalactic law. It was. And Ackbar would undoubtedly face the music. But if Luke got him the data that was in the chip in his pocket, any serious punishment for the infraction would be met by popular uproar.

Staring out between the blinds, Luke touched the outline of the chip gingerly. They could not transmit the data to New Republic headquarters through hyperspace. Such communiques took extreme amounts of power and were strictly controlled by Ulneo Prime's Central Authority.

Now that Akbar and his men were directly overhead, however...

B36 stepped into the room. "A86 has the signal transmitter up and running, Sir."

"Excellent," said Luke. He made his way out of the room through the gaudily decorated rooms and corridors of their refuge. In the distance he heard explosions.

In an attic room he found A86 and Wallamoo. The other troopers were stationed on the ground floor, protecting the whorehouse from would be looters. A86 had an ancient looking hearing device pressed against an ear. In front of him was an equally ancient looking computer.

Seeing Luke enter, he stood up. "There is a chance that they won't believe the signal is from us," said A86.

"They'll know this signal is from us," said Luke.

"The Force?" said A86.

Sitting down Luke laughed. "No." He slipped the data chip into the old machine and began typing on the antiquated board. It was so old it had actual keys. "Old Rebel Code. Akbar will recognize it."

He typed in their coordinates in the code, got an encoded response, and then began transmitting the data on the chip without encryption. He didn't want to keep the names of the guilty a secret. After several minutes the computer beeped in completion.

It was done. Even if Luke and his team were shot down, the evidence of what happened here was travelling freely through the atmosphere.

But Luke knew they wouldn't be shot down.

At first, when he had betrayed the Jedi, Luke had been weakened. The small fires that once were Yoda, Ben and Jedi past were gone. They had once lit his heart, lifted his body when he was weak, shaped him, protected him, and given him power.

But now he was more powerful than ever. Those old fires had been replaced by new. The light of his storm troopers and Han and the hundreds of Calamarians who'd been infected. They were living breathing fires, not old embers of those now dead.

And these new fires didn't warm just him. They warmed all that were infected. One day, they would warm the hearts of all living things.

Looking up at the roof of the attic through his mind's eye, Luke saw through the old beams to the stars beyond.

"B36, A86, do you feel them?" he asked.

B36 said softly, "The web footed guys...they're coming to help us, aren't they!"

"I feel them, too," said Wallamoo. "Wow..."

Turning to her, Luke said, "Are you coming with us?"

Shaking her head, she said, "No, my work is here." She grinned. "I'm gonna spread the love in ways you never dreamed of."

Luke felt his face go red, and for a moment he wondered if he'd done the right thing.

"Sir," said A86, "it is time."

x x x x

"_And since the invasion of Ulneo by the Mon Calamarian contingent of the fleet, Admiral Akbar has resigned his commission and returned to Mon Calamari," _a pretty Twi'lek with soft green skin said in the holo of "The Briefing Room," the galaxy's most ubiquitous news show.

Across the cantina Han fidgeted at the table next to Chewie. It was a long way from the cantina on Tatooine. This was an upscale place. There wasn't a blaster in sight. He was here for a business meeting. Luke was safe - on a ship in Han and Leia's direction at this very moment. Han was antsy with the collected tension of having been patient for too long. Leia had pushed him out of the house telling him to "go do what he would be doing if nothing had happened."

It was hard doing normal things when the news reminded you just how royally fucked up things had been.

"_Will there be charges against Akbar?"_ said the pretty Twi'lek reporter.

Another reporter, a human man, said, _"Charges have already been drawn up. But considering the evidence Luke Skywalker had of the New Republic's highest officials using the Ulneo mines as dumps for 'political undesirables,' it's doubtful he'll get anything more than a slap on the wrist."_

"_But to have a military leader basically make a personal declaration of war..."_

Barking softly next to him, Chewie put his hand on Han's shoulder and gestured across the room at a familiar face.

Han waved to Wedge; the former rebel pilot smiled and headed in his direction.

"_Indeed,"_ said the human reporter, _"the New Republic is at a precarious position in its infancy. We're still not sure how Admiral Akbar managed to communicate with Luke Skywalker, the sequence of events -"_

Han's jaw tensed. He'd never be able to talk shipping lanes to the outer rim with the holo on. He glared at the holo for a moment and wished...

The holo flickered and went to static. The bartender went over and started frantically pushing buttons.

Han blinked. Had he done that? Oh well, thank Force for small favors. Standing, he turned to Wedge and grinned. "Great to see you again."

Gesturing at the now dead holo Wedge said, "Great that Luke got out of that." He shook his head, "I can't even say how relieved I was..."

Chewie barked something to the effect of Wedge being a good guy. Actually the literal translation was closer to, "I would trust him to watch my pups and would gladly share the blood of fresh meat with him."

Han tilted his head. He knew what Chewie was getting at. Wedge was a good guy to have on your team - which was why Han was interviewing him for a piloting position. But maybe he could give Wedge a little more than a job.

"You know," Han said putting out his hand, "we're going to be having a little reunion with Luke later today - you want to come? I know he'd be glad to see you."

Pumping his hand furiously and smiling broadly, Wedge said, "That would be great."

"Alright," Han said smiling. "Let's get down to business."

x x x x

"Shouldn't you ring the doorbell, Sir?" A86 said to Luke. They were standing in the hallway outside Han and Leia's door at the top floor of a very well-appointed habitat building. He was pulling at the neck of his civilian clothing, looking distinctly uncomfortable. A86 wasn't used to being free, Luke realized.

Was Luke?

Shaking his head, Luke sighed. "No this is really important to him."

He was about to add, "and stop calling me sir," but at that moment the door whooshed open.

Grinning and catching Luke in a bone-crushing hug, Han said to Luke, "I _knew_ you were here."

Patting Han's back and grinning back, Luke said, "I know you did."

Pulling back, Han put out a hand to A86, "And you're A86!"

"Yes, Sir," said A86, taking the hand somewhat hesitantly.

"We're off duty," said Luke.

"You can call me Han," said Han. "Or Solo if you're being formal."

"And I'm Luke," said Luke.

"Yes, sirs," said A86.

Luke rolled his eyes.

"You're worse than our protocol droid," said Han, gesturing for them to come inside.

A86's eyes began to dart back and forth between the two of them.

Sensing his unspoken question, Luke said, "Yes, he has it, too."

Grinning, Han said, "The only other thing I've ever gotten from sex was a bad rash."

A86's eyes got a little wider.

"No," said Luke.

"Not from him," said Han with a wave leading them down a long hallway.

Smirking Luke said, "Oh, but don't tell me that night we spent inside a dead ton-ton together meant nothing to you."

Leading them into the kitchen Han snorted, "Oh...that night will always be with me. I can still smell the ton-ton shit."

Luke and Han's easy banter seemed to relax A86 a bit, his shoulders loosened a bit, but he still eyed the surroundings apprehensively. Han and Leia's place was befitting of a princess.

"Long way from a barracks," said A86.

"Or a moisture evaporator farm," said Luke. He tried to send some reassurance in A86's direction through the Force, but A86 was too agitated to receive it. "Don't worry," Luke added.

"It's a long way from most of the slime-holes I hung out in," said Han. Going to the cooling unit he said, "You want a Heinlenlin, A86?" It was Han's alcoholic beverage of choice.

Scowling slightly Luke said, "We'll be discussing important matters with Akbar later. Do you really think this is a good time to start drinking?"

Pulling out a bottle and popping off the cap, Han said, "That is exactly why I choose to drink."

Holding out a hand, A86 tilted his head and said, "I'll take one Solo, Sir."

Luke knew there was a wise and witty response to Han's attitude but before he could formulate it he heard Leia's familiar voice. "Luke!"

Turning around he only caught sight of a blur as she rushed into his arms. Forgetting about Han and A86 Luke grinned and spun her around. "Hey, little sister," he said.

"Hey, little brother," she replied.

It was an inside joke. They'd discovered she was a little older, Luke's 'little' was a reference to her size, her 'little' was a reference to his age.

Next thing Luke knew, C3PO was entering the kitchen, R2 and Chewie at his heels and someone else. "Wedge! Chewie!" Luke shouted, releasing Leia.

As he grasped his old comrades' hand and paw and thumped them both heartily on the back, Luke heard Leia saying, "Okay, everyone. Holos of Mon Motha, Lando and Akbar are waiting for us, let's go."

Talking excitedly to Wedge about his upcoming mission to the outer rim, Luke followed Leia, Han, Chewie, C3PO, R2 and A86 down a long hallway to the study.

The shimmering images of Akbar and Mon Motha were already there. And someone else, a petite young woman with light brown hair, drawn up loosely at the back of her head. She was cute but did have a rather prominent nose. She hummed with the Force, another infected one. Going over and putting her hand on the unfamiliar young woman, Leia announced, "I'm sure Mon Motha and Akbar need no introduction. This is Marria, one of my oldest friends, also a survivor of Alderaan. She was a spy for the Rebellion on Coruscant."

The room began to buzz with conversation. Luke might have been the only person to hear Marria whisper to Leia, "You make it sound so glamorous. Mostly I sorted through people's trash."

Wedge went off to talk to Mon Motha and Lando, Han was talking with Chewie, and after patting Marria's hand and winking at her, Leia went over to Akbar.

Luke found himself beside A86.

"I don't belong here," said the former storm trooper.

It was Marria who answered. Sliding up next to them both she said, "Oh no, of course you do. Society will be stronger if the Force is present in beings from all walks of life. Groups are smarter when they're diverse, at least according to J'Surowookie's theory of the Wisdom of Crowds."

It was a very nice thing to say. And suddenly it struck Luke that her nose wasn't so much prominent as distinctive.

"Unnh," said A86.

"What he means to say," said Luke, "Is that he's read J'Surowookie and although he thought that had more to do with how economies self order themselves, it might work in this case as well."

Her eyes were very bright and luminous, too.

"Uh-huh," said A86, obviously discomfited by a woman who was not his superior or a whore.

At that moment Leia came over and took Marria by the hand, "Come, I want to introduce you to Akbar."

Luke tilted his head as Marria followed his sister; she had a very nice figure, too.

Staring into his bottle A86 said, "I think I need another drink."

Luke found himself alone as A86 went over to chat with Han and Wedge. Feeling a rush of fresh air, he turned around and realized that hiding behind the long dark curtains in the study was a door to a veranda. He stepped out into the evening air, leaving the curtain slightly opened behind him.

The city stretched out below him, a carpet of shimmering lights.

"You know," said a familiar voice at his shoulder, "A86 has got to learn to talk to women in a social setting."

Luke raised an eyebrow and turned to the one Jedi who hadn't abandoned him. Anakin's projection shimmered in the evening air. "Of course," his father said looking back into the room Luke had just came from, "his loss could be your gain."

Luke followed his gaze to where Marria was still talking with Akbar and Leia. It might have been the Force, or just a breeze from the open door, but she turned towards Luke and his ghostly companion. Her mouth opened in a small 'o'. No one else seemed to have noticed Anakin's presence.

"She's not off limits to you now," said Anakin said quietly smiling back at her and waving. "I'm just saying."

He flickered away and Marria's eyes got very wide.

Indeed she wasn't.

In a little while the evening would turn to weighty discussions of the Force, how it should be spread, the ethics of spreading it, and what to do if the holders faced persecution. But now Luke was free, perhaps for the first time in his life. He was no longer bound to a destiny a host of dead Jedi had laid out for him.

Stepping back into the study, his eyes met Marria's and he smiled.

**A/N:**

I think the repercussions of this could span decades, if not centuries, and I think that's a little beyond the original scope of this story. How many people caught the James Surowiecki reference?

Thanks for reading – and special thanks to everyone who has reviewed! It's been fun playing in Star Wars land.


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